Light of the Stars
by LadyPharaoh
Summary: To be buried with the memories of his past. That was all Alucard had wished for after the recent events, after the fight against his father. The past still lingered on, loneliness was to surround him until he would succumb to it all. This was going to be his grave, he was convinced of it. However, the he hadn't expected for a certain rogue to find the castle.
1. Chapter 1

Hello everyone! Now that fans seemed to have stomached season 2 of the Netflix series, I figured that I could add my part to it! My regular CV3 fanfic is not forgotten! But with NaNoWriMo and assignments on my tail, I will have to see if I can make time for that as well... This prompt came to mind at some point and I thought that I could might as well use it for NaNo :U

Anyway!

Hope that you have fun and I'll see you around!

* * *

Dusk had never looked so pleasant.

The sky finally carried warm colors for once. There was a certain softness to it which the rogue had almost forgotten about.

The past months were a nightmare after all. From demons to civil wars, from famine to disease and murder happening left and right... So much blood was spilled even the ground beneath their feet was soiled and cursed.

It was to survive or to be killed, simple as that. Robbery was one of the lesser crimes around Wallachia, so he resorted to that during his travels.

The black silhouette of a castle was on the horizon this entire time. Not that he remembered a castle to be in a place like this, but he wanted to try his luck anyway.

If there was a castle, there was a chance that it was empty and left with anything that would come in handy. Most people fled their homes in a hurry, so it wouldn't be a surprise.

Thus, the castle was his main goal for the day. He wandered without any break until the strange construction was before him. The sunset was a stark contrast to the cold colors of the bricks.

Yet, Grant wasn't here to admire architecture, but for pillaging some poor, dead nobles of their riches.

They wouldn't need those in Hell anyway.

+0+0+0+

Upon entering, there was already a strange air to it.

It smelt of blood, of burnt materials.

This had been a place of conflict and chaos. It all looked so torn down that a tragedy must have already reached its conclusion.

All was quiet, all was still. Nothing shifted and there was no life within.

Grant shuddered.

Even the interior didn't seem from this world, whatever was left of it anyway. The rogue checked a few items, picked up some other books, but nothing that screamed to be of material value or use. For that, he would need to give himself some time to study everything, as there was potential to the unknown.

His journey led him further down, taking all sorts of routes as his curiosity grew for the stories within these walls. The initial mission was forgotten with these details around him, of all these things that he couldn't make sense of.

Whatever these past months have done to the countryside, all seemed to have been birthed from this realm.

+0+0+0+

Then, a sob reached his ears.

It was muffled and pitiful and for a second, Grant believed that his ears were tricking him. There was no way that anybody else dared to venture so far into this cursed construction and yet, another sob could be heard.

With slow steps, the rogue approached the door from where he believed to have heard the crying; the door itself was out of its hinges anyway. His heart began to race as he peeked inside, not knowing what to expect.

Maybe, it was a trap set out by the demons! Maybe, it was just an illusion of his mind and he was going crazy after all this time!

Not that this would have been the most surprising twist of all.

Yet, his expectations couldn't were all off:

It was only some poor sap on the ground, sobbing his eyes out, so it seemed.

All he could see was his back and the many golden locks. Around them was a demolished room, but even Grant could figure out that this looked like a kid's room.

Well, there was no way to not make this awkward. Grant cleared his throat to grab his attention, then he raised his voice, though couldn't keep it from trembling:

"Hey there, buddy... You doing alright over there?"

Smooth, dude, he thought to himself with a groan, real smooth.

This was enough to shock the other. He turned to glance at the intruder and his tear stained face was replaced with a frown. One hand was on his belt, possibly armed with daggers or some sorts.

"W-Who are you? How dare you even be here?!", he growled and his amber eyes carried a spark of anger, barely contained within him.

Grant let out a nervous laugh and lifted his hands in defense; one part of him was getting ready to make a run for it. No matter how surreal this person looked, the rogue could bet that he wasn't as quick on his feet as him, especially not in this state.

"L-Look, I didn't know anybody was even in here! The castle just sort of appeared recently and I got curious and-"

"Then leave me and this wretched place alone."

The rogue swallowed, but wouldn't bulge, yet. One hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out a handkerchief with a sheepish smile.

"I'm not trying to hurt anyone and you look pretty distressed. Wouldn't want to ruin your shirt with tears and snot, would you?"

The other only groaned at his words, then let out a weary sigh and shook his head.

"What's the point anymore... There is nothing left in here other than blood and tears."

"And you, I guess."

Grant didn't know what compelled him to take steps further into the room. Perhaps, it was the fact that he saw a man broken and in sorrow before him. Leaving someone be like this wasn't exactly in best manners.

Even a thief had some sort of moral code, it seemed.

+0+0+0+

Grant handed him the handkerchief once he was close enough and the other glanced between the offer and the rogue before taking it. With that, Grant took place beside him and let his gaze wander around the room.

Clearly, there had been a lot of effort put into this. Whatever evil one could have sensed in the rest of the castle, a spark of affection was left within these walls. Even if that spark was dying out.

"I ask you again", came the sharp comment from the side, "who are you, what are you doing and why are you here?" Grant could feel his eyes drill right into his frame and he shuddered. The other was barely accepting his presence, but he must have figured that the rogue was of no harm or was too stubborn to leave.

"The name's Grant, ", he replied, glancing at him from the corner of his eyes. He gave a shrug and shifted in place. "And, well, as to how and why I'm here... I'm a thief?" He expected to get strangled in any second. Indeed, he could see how his anger was boiling further, so he presented his empty hands to him again. "Look, I had no idea that anybody was here or that it was your place or whatever! Then I kind of got lost looking at everything and-"

"Do you ever stop rambling, thief?", he snarled back and finally turned his gaze away. One could see how he tried to push his anger back down again as he saw no point in raging against him. Yet, Grant didn't dare to raise his voice against him at that question and watched him a bit. The most obvious question burned on his tongue, but didn't pass his lips. Though, it must have been clear in his stare as the other groaned a bit while watching his surroundings.

"I'm Alucard, if you want to know that badly."

Another moment of silence. Grant frowned and tilted his head, needed another few seconds to gather his voice before he replied:

"What's your real name though?"

"What?"

"Your real name. 'Alucard' is Dracula spelt backwards, buddy, it's not that hard to figure out."

Alucard, or whatever his name was, stared at him dumbfounded, then shook himself and tried to downplay his embarrassment.

Was that even a hint of a blush on his cheeks?

Grant couldn't tell, the dude was so pale that it put marble to shame.

Yet, the implication of his name then dawned on him and he realized where he traveled to. Now it was his turn to turn white from shock. Alucard scoffed at his reaction and rolled his eyes.

"Finally realized the mess that you got yourself into, huh?" There was almost something mocking to his words and the rogue didn't know what to do with himself.

A vampire! An actual vampire!

If Grant didn't know any better, he would have assumed this man to be from another country. His features were so strange to whatever he was used to from his own travels. And yet, the shine of his eyes and his complexion were one of a demon. In the next moment, he realized the pointy fangs that dared to peek over his thin lower lip.

"Now that you know who and what I am, I would advise you to leave. I won't harm you in the least, but I can see your fear in your eyes."

"N-No worries! If you really would have wanted to suck my blood or anything, you would have probably attacked me already!" His laugh wasn't exactly genuine and spoke of his nervousness and it died down just as quickly. "... Right?"

Alucard scoffed again and shook his head. Grant could feel a weight being lifted from his chest and his muscles relaxed once more. He hadn't even noticed how much his frame had tensed up. Out of relief, the rogue patted his shoulder and flashed him another smile, though this time, it held honest warmth to it.

"Besides, you seem to be busy doing something else over here, no?"

"That's none of your business."

"Fair enough."

+0+0+0+

With that, the two mismatched companions sat together in silence, watching the room left and right. This must have been brimmed with memories for the other, thought Grant to himself as he let his gaze wander. In a way, it was fascinating to know that this room held so many memories for Alucard while the rogue felt almost nothing out of this mess. There was no picture on his mind for these surroundings, of how they could have looked like before destruction tore it all apart. Of course, Grant could try to imagine it all, but there was still no value to it.

Something left Alucard shuddering. A thought or idea must have slipped into his mind, perhaps another unpleasant scene connected to any item in this room. Looking at him, sorrow flooded the light eyes again, so many painful thoughts sticking to his skin, it seemed.

"It must be tough", he began, keeping his voice low as if he could startle the other, "being here on your own."

"You have no idea what I've been through, thief." His words shook, trying to keep the tears down as he bit on his lower lip. Yet, his anger and frustration increased as if he was about to talk himself into a rage. "You haven't seen half the things that I have witnessed. Not gone through the same pain and suffering, through the same curse. There's nothing that you could even grasp of the imagery that is forever burnt into my skull."

"Probably, yes", Grant retorted dryly and watched him nonetheless. Whatever fear he had before, it began to shift into pity and worry. Even if that man was a monster, he was grieving in his own silent manner. "But I feel like you do that a lot."

A glare from Alucard and he tensed as if preparing for any judgement from his side. "Do what?"

"Dramatic speeches like that. If I had accompanied you in your travels and gotten a coin every time you did that, I wouldn't need to raid empty castles anymore."

Once more, Alucard was left speechless by the blunt answer. He blinked at him in confusion, he had almost forgotten his tears right then. Then he shook his head and crossed his arms.

"You are quite an odd fellow..."

"I get that a lot."

+0+0+0+

Alucard returned to his slumped over position. He was tired and exhausted from whatever torment he had been through. Or, at least, whatever he had put himself through the last few days anyway. With a sigh, Grant took off his cloak and threw it over the other's shoulders who flinched. One hand was already about to pull the heavy cloth away, but the rogue rested his hand on his shoulder with a smile.

"It must get cold around here, I guess. I don't think that this lousy shirt of yours can keep you warm."

"I am in no need of handouts", he mumbled and seemed to be thinking about giving the cloak back to him in any moment. "There is enough here to find to keep myself warm even if I was cold."

Grant shrugged at that, it was most likely true. This place was big enough to hold at least one cloak.

"It also helps feeling cozy when you are so down. At least, I know that it helps me."

For the first time, Alucard didn't seem quite so hostile anymore. Instead, he looked him over as if to detect what his comment meant, but Grant knew how to hide his emotions from his expression. The rogue knew perfectly well that he didn't look like the sorrowful type to most people around him. But it was naive to believe that he didn't have his own burden and scars to carry, too.

That much, Alucard seemed to understand as well and drew back a bit before making any sort of remark about that.

"Then I..." His voice got even lower, embarrassed almost, "I thank you for your thought..."

"You're welcome, buddy."

Another growl from the dhampire as he sunk a bit, keeping every comment to himself. Instead, he tried to shift the attention from himself and focused on the rogue.

"Was is it that you hoped to find here? By getting close, you must have known that this castle was in a... Desolated state", he asked, genuine curiosity dared to peek through and Grant flashed him a grin.

"Aside from the hopes of treasures, you mean?" He gave a shrug at that. The further he had ventured into the castle, the less he had thought about treasure and more about the machines all around him. "To be honest? I don't know what else I expected... Certainly not this, I can tell you that much."

But what else was to be expected from the realm of Vlad Draculea? Otherworldly machinery and traps all around. Nothing that anybody's mind could come up with.

"I don't think that any rational, human mind could really get behind his ideas and knowledge..."

"Or his love for staking people, but that's another story."

Alucard was about to scold him for insulting his father, but he left it at that and let out a deep sigh. No one could deny that Dracula's actions were of diabolical nature, no matter what his intellect might have been.

Trying to defend him was like trying to defend the Temple Knights during the Crusades: Maybe there had been good intentions in the beginning, but they spiraled so far down into violence and bloodshed that no one would justify them.

"My father was certainly... Peculiar and has always been, that much I can agree on. But I also hold memories of him in my mind when he wasn't this... Sadistic. When he had found peace within my mother, it was almost like he was a different person."

Grant frowned a bit at this explanation. There was no way that he could imagine Dracula as any sort of pleasant person or even being capable of love. From all the stories and scenes that he had seen, there was no shred of justice or decency within Vlad. But then again, the proof of his capability for love was right beside him.

Alucard's memories weren't invalid or unimportant. So, it wasn't in his place to judge those just as much as he couldn't judge this room and the memories attached with it.

Grant almost didn't want to ask, but his question passed his lips before he could even stop him: "And since I didn't have the honor to meet your Dad or just... Anybody else of your family, I assume..." He couldn't even finish the sentence anymore and Alucard turned his gaze away in an instant. A sob shook him, no matter how hard he tried to hide said fact. The rogue swallowed from nervousness and felt his heart jump in sympathy at the sight. "C-Could have figured that much, yeah, I'm... I'm sorry." He scooted closer to take him by the shoulder again and this time, Alucard didn't even attempt to fight back against the touch. It was enough to trigger his tears again and Grant could feel his stomach sink.

"Being without your parents and family... It certainly isn't easy", he mumbled as his own eyes wandered around the room again. He tried to imagine a little version of the dhampire, being tended to by his mother who, most likely, resembled him quite a lot. Even if he couldn't say for sure, there were more good memories within these walls even if, right then, it must have hurt to be reminded of the past.

Of something, that the other could never return to.

+0+0+0+

Alucard rubbed the tears away from the back of his hands, trying to calm himself as quickly as possible. He was about to snarl something back, but upon seeing that Grant's expression had turned neutral, his anger faded in the next second.

" It's... All so fresh, these scars. With them, I felt like a part of myself has died as well and I will have to bury myself along with them."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Alucard clicked with his tongue and turned in place. "Tch, what do you know?!"

If Grant didn't know any better, he would think that he was dealing with a teenager rather than a man around his own age. Yet, he preferred not to make that comment and figured that, if the other had revealed that much to him, the rogue might as well talk.

"I might not know about you, but I feel like that I can sort of relate." It was almost amusing how much of a contrast was between them. They could hardly be any more different from one another. "I mean, I don't know if my parents are dead, to be honest. In fact, I can't remember my childhood at all, so my memory just goes back to a couple of years ago." He shrugged as if trying to say that it wasn't a big deal anymore.

Well, that would be sort of a lie. Of course, there were nights in which the rogue would question himself and his past, who he was and what his place in this world was. There was no him before a group of pirates had picked him up, lost and abandoned in a field with wounds littered all over. At least, that much they had told him.

It was a strange life to lead, to say the least. To be yourself and yet, it was as if his life began when he opened his eyes in the ship, surrounded by all these unknown faces.

"No father, no mother or siblings. No home to return to or even a memory of such to follow back and grieve over. The past has... No meaning to me."

Alucard watched him intently, he probably couldn't make much sense of that either. For someone who was so connected to his memories and the pain within it all, he must have had trouble understanding what it would have meant if all of this was simply... Empty.

A hole in the mind that couldn't be refilled.

+0+0+0+

"I'm sorry."

Grant flinched, torn from his thoughts. He then tilted his head in confusion and let out a weak chuckle.

"You're sorry? For what? It's all over and done, nothing that can be done about it."

Alucard's stare was quite intense as if he could stare someone right down into the soul. Perhaps, he tried to find out the truth behind his words. Not that he could figure out the rogue right then, so he fell back a bit and sighed.

That was all Alucard could do for most things recently, it seemed.

"Even when something is done, the feeling of it can still haunt you. And both can be a curse: to remember all so clearly and not having any memory at all. I can't imagine which is worse..."

"I don't believe that this would be a contest... Pretty sure that both of those options can hurt more than either of us can imagine."

Grant shrugged once more, he wouldn't want to be the judge for it. Life was difficult enough as it was. There was no need to fight over questions like these when people outside would fight for every piece of bread already.

Through the tinted windows and parts of the collapsed ceiling, one could see that nighttime had arrived. The sky was as clear as ever, they could even spot a few stars here and there. Once again, Grant couldn't help but remember how long it must have been since he found the sight of the night sky so comforting. Yet, as it got darker, he pulled forth his oil lamp and turned it on; a little circle of warm light surrounded them.

"I'm not in need to see the details of my old room...", mumbled Alucard who couldn't keep from glancing around anyway.

The rogue pursed his lips and lifted his eyebrows as he pulled a bottle from his belt. "But my eyes don't come with night vision, genius." Then he took the cap off to take a proper sip before handing it over to the dhampire. "Maybe that can lift your spirits a little. Life is shitty enough as it is for the two of us, you know."

Alucard frowned at the sight, looked between the bottle and Grant. "I'm not one for alcohol... I know someone else who might enjoy that invitation, but I don't see the point."

"Never said that it was alcohol... Anyway, more for me then."

And without hesitation, Grant took another sip. His eyes darted back to the oil lamp and he considered leaving that for the other, too, but he would need a source of light for himself. Thus, his gaze wandered through the room before he asked:

"Any candles around here?"

"Why?"

Another frown from Alucard's side. Grant pointed to his lamp before placing his bottle down. For a moment, he seemed to be thinking about his answer. He could say something cheeky about it again or joke about it. But right then, he couldn't keep himself from being completely honest.

"Can't leave you alone in the dark."

Alucard remained silent at that, trying to weight his words before he turned to glance around. Then he gestured towards the lamp just the same and mumbled:

"Look, you don't have to worry about me. This is yours and so is the coat, I won't expect you to give me the few things that you own."

Grant snorted at that and patted his back, the touch seemed to distract the other, but he wasn't trying to defend himself. His frame eased a bit, he could feel his muscles shift underneath his palm. Before the rogue could even return any sort answer to that, Alucard sighed once more and turned his gaze away which, at first, Grant took as irritation.

"Besides, I don't think that traveling at night is much safer than staying here…"

The rogue blinked at him before his implication left him smiling, a laugh followed right then. "Well, there is a vampire in here that might be after my blood!"

Though these words left the dhampire to slump over some more, the other's joke passed right by him and Grant softened at the sight. Thus, he slid closer to him and placed an arm around his shoulders which left Alucard frozen in place.

"Sorry, you're probably not in the best mood for that, I realize. But if you wanted me to stay instead, you could have just told me so. Being left alone is pretty hard after all."

"It was by my own choice."

Grant shrugged and pulled his arm back. He watched him with care, to see if his expression would show anything beyond his words, but Alucard seemed to have been wary about it. The rogue followed it up with a sigh, leaned back on his hands as his eyes wandered up to the many stars above them.

"Still. Doesn't mean that it's not hard to deal with."

"I suppose so."

"Guess I'll take your invitation and stay for the night then!"

Alucard groaned at that and rolled his eyes which left Grant chuckling once more. But since the other didn't deny or ordered for him to leave, the rogue took that as a good sign. The dhampire might not be easy to read, yet there were a few things that he could figure out, it seemed. Nobody deserved to be on their own while grieving and contemplating to end their life. There was something so young to the other that it would have been a shame otherwise.

Plus, he wasn't bad company, no matter how hostile at times. It was a self-defense mechanism, that much Grant could understand.

+0+0+0+

"I don't know if there is anything of value for you to take from these ruins."

Grant flinched at his words and blushed a bit, feeling somewhat ashamed of his current occupation no matter how much he tried to defend himself.

It was to survive, but it still didn't hold much honor to it, did it?

He put on a sheepish smile and thought about it. No, there was no obvious item to be taken away so far that could earn him some money or food. The machinery was too strange to make sense of it right away.

"I don't know… Maybe some of that can help the people all over if I could study and understand it sometime!"

Alucard frowned a bit at that, but Grant avoided his gaze. The rogue connected the sparkling dots of the sky together to spot the constellations. Not that Grant expected himself to understand whatever Dracula had built up in here, but he could hope after all.

"Understand it? I guess, you are aware of what has happened…", mumbled Alucard and tried to follow his gaze. He seemed to be seeing constellations, too. The rogue has heard how Dracula's wife was a woman of science, so it would make sense if she taught her son about the stars.

"Never said that I didn't. I know that you probably aren't very fond of... My kind, I guess, but we all carry our sorrow and pain in our minds from these scenarios, believe me." Grant sounded thoughtful as if reminiscing in scenes that must have passed his eyes this very moment. Alucard glanced at him from the corners of his eyes, the rogue could feel the glow of it upon him. "And if someone like me, a man without a past, can help build a better future, I have to do my part. Otherwise, what else is left for me anyway?"

The question was followed by another moment of silence and Grant could feel a bit of a blush bloom on his cheeks. He didn't intend to babble away like that, but the late hours compelled him to be more sorrowful, more melancholic.

Then Alucard snorted.

Grant was perplexed by the sound, he didn't expect to hear anything resemble laughter passing the dhampire's lips.

"Look at you, now you're the one making dramatic speeches, it seems."

Then it was Grant's turn to laugh, though his blush didn't fade. He nudged his side with his elbow.

"Eh, guess you rubbed off on me. Must be contagious."

"You wish."

+0+0+0+

Another couple of bits of chuckles here and there. The dangers of the night almost forgotten, the past unimportant for a second. In the shine of the oil lamp, they could enjoy their companionable silence. Make little remarks here and there about the constellations as well for a change. Both of them were quite knowledgeable about it which seemed to surprise Alucard a little.

"How come you have learned about the stars?"

"I traveled the sea, you know. The stars would lead us back home."

Alucard tilted his head a little and pondered on his words.

"A pirate turned thief, huh? Not too much of a surprise", he mumbled before he let out a sigh. "I have never been, you know. Never seen the seaside."

"A shame, really. Maybe I can take you there one day!"

The dhampire scoffed at that and shook his head. They were so far in the countryside that it would take weeks to get to the Black Sea. Grant could feel his heart ache a bit, he missed the sea. From its breeze to its waves, the smell and feel of it all; nothing could compare and compel him as much.

"My place is here, I have told you. There is nowhere else for me to be." As tough as Alucard tried to sound, there was sorrow behind his words. Whether that was from grief or the idea that he wouldn't allow himself to set foot outside anymore.

No one could really say.

"Whatever you attempt to seek here, I don't think you will find it, buddy", he replied and bumped his side. "I can't tell you what you will find outside these walls, but I know that it will be more than whatever this castle can offer. So, my proposal still stands, just so you know."

Alucard remained silent, wouldn't bulge or shift in his position. Nothing changed in his expression, but his tone held a certain warmth to it when he replied:

"I'll think about it."

And that was good enough for the rogue to hear.

+0+0+0+

Perhaps, it had been a wink of fate for them to meet. After such terrors and nightmares to find one another in a gigantic castle where the rogue could have missed the sorrowful dhampire.

But to be able to sit together and discuss this and that, to distract one another from the pits of one's mind...

It felt like a blessing, a moment of peace which has ever been so rare to them. Even if it was just for one night, they could enjoy it.

And after Dracula's Curse hit the scene, one had to appreciate the little moments in life sometimes.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello there! It's been a while, hasn't it?  
This was originally supposed to be a oneshot, but I got another idea to add on to this which results in two more chapters! Soon done with chapter 3, so let's see where that goes!

Have fun and see you around! 3

* * *

"You have to make sure that you drop by sometime! Otherwise, I will come back and check this place again and that's a threat!"

At least, that's how Grant had put it after giving him directions to get to Enisala, a town by the sea.

Not that Alucard was eager to go.

In fact, he hadn't planned to leave at all as these ruins were created to be his resting place. And yet, when the dhampire was met with the deafening silence for weeks, the rogue's words would resound in his mind.

This castle was filled to the brim with memories, but all the colors had faded from them.

Nothing to fulfill or soothe him, nothing new to be found.

In the end, if the outside world had nothing to offer anymore, then he could still return to the castle.

His grave would be there waiting for him anyway.

+0+0+0+

Never had Alucard traveled so far east before.

He had gotten so used to the sight of the mountains everywhere that, as a child, he believed that everything else must have looked the same. But the closer he got to Enisala, the flatter everything became. Larger fields, broader rivers and the wind wasn't nearly as rough while the bright sky was in clear sight.

Maybe it felt this peaceful, because there were no demons to tear the landscape apart. It had something refreshing to it, that much he had to admit.

It was strange, yet not surprising how quickly Alucard had gotten used to the misery.

Seeing people again was weird, too.

The other few travelers were curious about him; people didn't roam the countryside on their own after all. Thus, others weren't too keen on being near him or would ask little to no questions. He wasn't traveling to humor anybody along the way either.

+0+0+0+

About a week later, Alucard had arrived in Enisala. The fortress stuck out like a sore thumb even a day before he had reached his destination. Only when he had drawn closer, he could make out how people were repairing buildings and the fortress. Otherwise, the population seemed to be getting used to a regular pace during the day again.

Grant had told him to find the 'Black Lobster', an inn near the docks. The rogue had said that he would have been out most likely. People were in dire need of new resources now that the invasion of Dracula was over.

Lots of jobs all around, so he couldn't complain.

Inside the inn, Alucard was met with curious glances. It wasn't exactly light in this room and there was only one clear path to the bar while the sides were cluttered with tables and chairs. Steam crawled on the ceiling from the kitchen while the visitors amused themselves playing cards. His eyes darted between the few men and women around the tables, though Grant wasn't to be found. At least, the barman seemed to be willing to help; a bright smile curled under his dark mustache.

"Grant? He and the others should arrive by today... If you're lucky, they probably reached the docks by now. So you can either check that out or wait here for the crew to come back."

The dhampire glanced over his shoulder for a moment, not quite sure if he would be welcome among this crowd. He didn't even know when he last was among... Regular folk, if ever at all.

"I think, I'm good", he replied, but gave his thanks to the barman anyway.

Perhaps with the rogue by his side, Alucard wouldn't stick out as much or would receive less glances, at least. As he turned to leave, he couldn't help but think that Trevor would feel right at home with this situation.

Why did the rogue have to come across him that night?

What a nuisance this was becoming.

+0+0+0+

There was only a glimpse that Alucard could make out.

A glimpse of the sea behind the dozens of ships that were in the harbor. His eyes did try to peek between them, becoming evermore curious about the sight that he had heard so much about. For a while, he even seemed to have forgotten his plan, wandering further without minding anybody. The air smelt of salt and fish, so intense that he doubted that he'd smell anything else for the next few days. There were so many people coming in and out that they didn't seem to care much for the dhampire anyway.

It was underneath an arch that Alucard saw a couple of sailors carrying boxes in, one more different than the other. But soon enough, he spotted a red bandana peeking over two boxes that the man was carrying. His arms were shaking from the weight, yet too stubborn to place them down.

Pride was a silly trait sometimes.

So, with a sigh, Alucard stepped in his way and, without asking, took the cargo from his arms.

Dumbfounded and about to complain, Grant glanced up at the other only to be left shocked. Yet, it only took him another second to smile and Alucard couldn't deny that his joy wasn't radiating.

"Would you look at that, you showed up!" As soon as Alucard placed down the boxes, Grant patted his shoulder with a laugh. "Was I that convincing after all?"

"You wish", the dhampire scoffed.

Grant was about to tease him again when one of the sailors passed the duo with a curious glance. "Is that a friend of yours, captain?" Alucard immediately frowned a bit at the title; this man was quite strong and looked older than the rogue.

"You could say that, I guess! I'll be right there with you guys, no worries!", Grant chuckled and gave the man a pat on the back. Once more, the sailor blinked at them before giving a shrug and making his way down the road.

Alucard followed him with his eyes for a moment before he turned to face the rogue again. "Captain? I didn't think you'd make it quite so high."

"Well, if the last captain becomes a demon's meal, you need a new one!" Grant put it so nonchalantly as if that situation was a natural occurrence. Well, maybe during Dracula's killing spree that might not have been too far from the truth. But before Alucard could ask more questions, the rogue flashed him another smile. "Have you checked out the seaside, yet? Or did you run straight into me?"

"It seems that fate wanted me to bump into you first, unfortunately."

Grant scoffed at that and picked the cargo back up. His stubbornness didn't allow Alucard to help him with that though.

"Whatever you say, buddy! But I'm happy to see that you've made it! Let's go and I'll treat you with a drink or two!"

Before the dhampire could even deny that offer, Grant lead the way as he hummed to himself. So, all Alucard could do was to sigh and roll his eyes before making their way back to the Black Lobster.

+0+0+0+

Now that the crew had arrived, the inn was packed. People were chatting among each other, someone playing the piano. The environment had changed from somber to festive in a matter of moments. Grant looked like he knew pretty much everybody in the room and he had no difficulty being the center of attention. A bit of laughter here, handshakes and hugs there, he was used to a crowd.

Curse his height, Alucard tried not to look bothered as he was being watched. He had joined this crowd as an intruder, people didn't know him after all. At least, Grant noticed his distress and kept the dhampire close at all times, shooting him a smile before they took a seat by the bar.

"Ah, there you are!" The barman shoved a mug between Grant's hands before glancing up at Alucard. "You want one as well?"

"No, thank you", he replied, "I'm not one for beer."

"I'll pick something else for you then!"

Not that the dhampire seemed to be able to deny, the barman was too happy to do so. At least, Alucard didn't get a mug, but a clay cup with what looked like red wine. He thanked him with a nod, though unsure if he would take more than two sips of this.

Grant chuckled under his breath at that sight, then lifted his mug. "Cheers to us then! That we were lucky enough to meet again!"

At that, Alucard had to comply and lifted his cup just the same. "I have a feeling that you would have dragged me out here at some point anyway, but... There's worse things to raise a toast to, so..." Their cups clicked and each took a sip. Alucard had to admit, the wine wasn't too bad. Not that he had much to compare it to, but he could get used to it over time.

Most people amused themselves in their own circles, the atmosphere warm and friendly. Now that Alucard didn't feel their eyes on him anymore, he didn't mind as much. Some other crew members opened the boxes and had them stored in the back. As someone passed Grant, he leaned in to grab whatever was in the basket and three round fruits dropped from his hand.

"Ever had any of these? You don't get figs around here that easily", explained Grant and picked one up, then pulled out a dagger from his belt. With the blade, he pulled off the dark purple skin, revealing the soft insides. "We gathered some cool stuff on our way back! Ottomans are not too bothersome when you have enough to trade with!"

"No, I don't think so", Alucard replied, trying to remember if his father ever took exotic fruit home for him and mother. He knew of figs, had seen drawings of them in books after all. Grant handed him the peeled fruit with a chuckle before grabbing another for himself.

"You didn't get out a whole lot, did you." It didn't sound like a question, but rather like a conclusion. The dhampire bit into the fig without giving a comment on that. Grant knew that he wasn't human and the son of Dracula, so there wasn't a whole lot of activities that he could have had. Yet, Grant offered him another smile and nudged his side.

"Don't worry about it though! You liking the fig?"

"Not bad."

Alucard couldn't compare the taste, but he understood why Ancient cultures enjoyed it. As much as he tried to keep his cool, he did take another bite right away.

"So, you were out to get supplies? Not the most typical rogue activity, is it?"

"Ah, now that most of the troubles are over, people will need food! And since there is no proper government yet, I'll consider myself a freelance sailor!"

"Rather than a pirate, I guess."

Grant snorted at that and emptied his mug. "You got some free stuff out of it though, so don't you complain, buddy!"

Alucard waved him off with a low chuckle and gave a shrug. Nothing to be argued with indeed.

When the dhampire emptied his cup, too, the barman handed both of them another drink. Any complaint from Alucard trying to pay him somehow were ignored.

"Any friend of our captain is ours as well, simple as that", was all that the barman said and Alucard fell back a little. The barman winked and patted Grant's shoulder who only laughed.

Once again, it was odd to see how a man twice the rogue's age had this much respect for him. While Grant did explain to him how he replaced the former captain, these people held such trust in him that this wasn't pure coincidence.

"People quite like you. I can't believe that they put this much trust in your abilities", mumbled Alucard. Not that he had ever seen what the rogue could do, but surviving his father's rampages was proof that there was some skill in him. Grant laughed some more, though blushed and was about to say something, yet the barman replied:

"Very much so! There's nothing that can take this guy down!" He sounded like a proud father, his grin bright. "And you gotta have a captain that can outrun death! Even as a child, he survived a vampire attack!"

Alucard frowned at that and from the corners of his eyes, he noticed how much Grant tensed up. The rogue could feel his eyes on him and carefully pulled down the collar to reveal his neck.

And there it was, two dark dots indicating a scar.

"Before you ask, no, I don't remember how I got that", Grant said, his voice strained. "When the rogues found me, this was one of the fresh wounds. I guess, I somehow survived a demon's attack."

It was almost out of instinct that Alucard glanced at his set of teeth, though there was nothing out of order. Whatever vampire had hunted him down, they didn't get a chance to turn him.

So yes, that was either skill, luck, a vampire's stupidity or all combined.

Even if Grant pushed his thoughts away with a laugh, Alucard could still see uncertainty remain in his expression. Not knowing of one's past, of what led him to this fate, it was frightening. The rogue wasn't the best liar and somehow, it calmed the dhampire.

And, for the first time, there was genuine fright in his eyes and Alucard softened a little.

"Maybe it is better that I don't remember a thing! Otherwise, I wouldn't even attempt any of these stunts, would I?"

"I guess, you're right. You don't strike me as someone that could be easily stopped."

Was that a hint of a smile on his lips?

It has been some time since Alucard was aware that he was even capable of doing so. Even Grant seemed surprised by that, but returned that smile in the next moment as radiant as ever.

"Must have cost you quite some effort to come up with a compliment!"

"Tch, take it as you will."

Grant chuckled and clicked his mug with the other's cup, then drowned any sort of insecurity that dared to well up.

After all, despite all odds, he was still human and affected by every emotion born in his heart.

And Alucard couldn't blame him for that.

Because, in the end, that same empathy wished to see him here. He wanted to show him that there was more to this world than the ruins of his old home, not expecting anything in return.

Just to give him some hope while Alucard was in pain.

Well, his mother knew that there was good to be found in people after all and the rogue was proof of such.

+0+0+0+

This atmosphere was only meant to last for so long as another person stumbled into the inn. The shock was enough to have people around him wonder and that sensation spread across the room in an instant.

"D-Demons", he panted, "demons are invading the town!"

Panic arose in a matter of seconds.

Fright and determination alike was among them. People began moving around, the muffled screams of other inhabitants outside reached them.

Alucard was in a state of shock, all his previous thoughts forgotten as his eyes hung in the air. So many questions raced through his mind while his frame froze on the spot.

"It cannot be. We've defeated father, the war is over."

"Only one way to find out." Grant jumped on his feet, one hand on his belt already. He glanced over his shoulder to find Alucard's gaze. "You coming along?"

That shook the dhampire from his trance and he only nodded before following along, pushing the other people aside.

+0+0+0+

As soon as the duo made their way outside, their eyes were met with battles. Soldiers streamed down from the fortress to help the townsfolk that made pathetic attempts to defend themselves from the werewolves wrecking the area. Fires had broken out left and right and it was difficult to understand where it had all started.

Not that the two of them cared too much, one foe was as good as any other. As Alucard dealt with a demon, he glanced to the side to see how the rogue was dealing with the supernatural enemy. Yet, he found himself surprised at how agile the other was; he made evading the attacks look pathetically easy. A sword in one hand, a dagger in the other and little to no mercy to make sure none of the demons would get past him. These skills spoke of more than experience, there must have been some training behind it, too.

This distraction threw the dhampire off and the werewolf took the opportunity in an instant. With its massive body, it threw itself at Alucard to ram him. The intensity had them both fall over and the dhampire could only block its set of teeth with the broad side of his sword, jamming the blade into its gums. Saliva dropped from the muzzle and its rotten breath reached his nose, warm and moist and it had him turn his face.

In the next moment, an extra weight was on the werewolf and its teeth were about to scrape his skin, when another blade flashed in sight. It dug right under its jaw and sliced open the throat. Foul blood poured from the wound and stained him, the smell so intense that Alucard was about to gag. As soon as the person rolled off the foe, Alucard shoved the beast to the side where it struggled with its breath before slumping over. As the dhampire wiped some of the blood from his face, a hand came into sight and he glanced up to find the rogue there.

"For someone who claims to have defeated Dracula, you sure don't know how to pay attention." Alucard got up on his own and growled to himself. What a beginner's mistake. "There's enough people out there that need saving, we need every help we can get, so pull yourself together!"

Grant didn't wait for an answer and hastened down the path to hunt after another foe. Alucard followed along, fueled by the desire to prove himself capable and shoving away any memory of his father's rotting remains.

+0+0+0+

Decimating the beasts wasn't much of a hassle anymore.

Once Alucard focused on his anger and frustrations, it was almost too easy to have his sword slice through limbs. One werewolf here, another beast there, they didn't know what was coming to them while they were busy with the townsfolk. Those poor souls, as terrified as they were, turned on their heels and escaped while they were unaware of injuries, unable to tell whose blood was on them.

And yet, Alucard spotted something else between the masses of demons and men:

The red eyes of a vampire.

The figure pushed themselves past the foes, the head ducked as they glanced from side to side. In a surge of anger, the dhampire dashed forward and crashed into the vampire. They both tumbled to the ground, Alucard's hands grasping around the throat. He stared right down on the pale face, the eyes wide with shock and surprise.

"What are you doing here?! How dare you show your faces again!", hissed Alucard, pressing his fingers into the skin just to see the vampire squirm and struggle.

"Y-Young master...", he whimpered while his hands grabbed the other's wrists, "now that you're here, we can-"

Alucard smashed the vampire's head against the ground to shut him up. "What makes you think that you can address me that way? Now tell me, why is this happening?!"

"Your father's glorious return... It is inevitable." A smirk stretched over the vampire's lips as he struggled for breath, one hand wandered down to an inner pocket to pull out a ring. Alucard's eyes widened at the sight of the piece of jewelry. Without a doubt, it had belonged to his father. "With his remains, we shall dominate Earth and-"

With that, the dhampire has heard enough.

His fingers dug into the light hair of the foe and slammed the skull against the ground. It didn't crack, yet, only leaving the vampire dazzled and Alucard's anger only grew. Another crash, then another, putting more and more strength behind it. He could even feel the skull cave in and blood splattered across the ground.

But he couldn't stop.

The memories flooded his mind, everything that he has experienced flashed by without any filter.

The hatred, the bloodshed, the pain and guilt.

Images of fires and smoke, of piles of corpses and screams rang between his ears almost loud enough to deafen him.

It all swirled together and tied a knot in his stomach, the smell of blood filled his nostrils. Another growl escaped him, his hands clenched harder and his body shuddered.

+0+0+0+

"Alucard!"

At first, the voice didn't reach him.

It sounded like an echo coming from afar. Once again, someone called out to him, but Alucard's mind was clouded. Only when someone grabbed him by his shoulders, his movement ceased and he finally realized what he was doing.

The vampire's head was hardly recognizable anymore. Seeing the mush before him had his stomach twist and his fingers released the skull. Alucard grabbed the stray ring and got back on his legs, his eyes staring down at it.

"Hey buddy..." Now, the tentative voice behind him was registered. "You hanging in there?"

The dhampire turned on the spot to find Grant, scratches here and there, but only worry was found on his expression. Alucard glanced back down at the ring, his bloodied fingers still trembling.

"H-How could this have happened? Where did they even gather this, I don't..." Alucard was out of breath, too many questions were popping up in his mind. Once again, Grant took him by his arm and tugged as he gave a weak smile.

"Look, let's get somewhere calmer, okay? Then we can focus on why-"

"No, I have to go. I have to stop them." Alucard pulled his arm out of his grasp with a low growl as his hand tightened around the ring.

"Like this, you won't be able to stop anybod-"

"As if you'd understand anything!"

Alucard couldn't control his voice anymore, the frustration of it all took hold of him again. His heart pumped against his chest in panic. His body wanted to get a move on and yet his feet remained firm on the ground. Grant's expression hardened and he scoffed.

"Buddy, you almost got your face bitten off. What makes you think that you handle everything on your own?"

Alucard clicked with his tongue and let the ring slip into a pocket. He needed to be of clear mind, that much was certain.

"So what are you going to do about it?", he replied, only giving him a side glance, "accompany me to make sure I don't get hurt?"

"Precisely!"

This answer left the dhampire flabbergasted. Just when he thought that he could return to his controlled self, the other found a way to surprise him.

"That's ridiculous", was all Alucard could muster up. "You wouldn't survive such an environment!"

"And yet, here I am! Not even a vampire can kill me apparently." Grant crossed his arms and showed him a smirk. Alucard tensed in place, but he didn't bite his tongue.

"If you want to accept death so gladly, I can't stop you." The answer was sharp enough, Alucard figured, it would put anybody off. Realizing that death was around every corner, the fiercest demons of Hell on their tracks.

"Good. At least, you understand that I'm unstoppable!" His smirk didn't waver and Alucard growled to himself.

"I don't know if you're the noblest rogue or the greatest fool I have ever met."

"Let's find out, shall we?"

+0+0+0+

The townsfolk prepared supplies and they were even so grateful that the duo received a small carriage. The damage done to Enisala was noticeable, buildings and stands torn apart. Between the rubble, people had to carry away the dead.

And yet, despite all the sorrow, the townsfolk found some comfort in having avoided total disaster.

After all, during the terror of Dracula, towns like theirs were decimated and people abducted to be kept like cattle.

The wounds would heal, scars would fade.

That was all they could hope for anyway.

Alucard didn't know about that though.

+0+0+0+

As he sat in the back of the carriage, Enisala's fortress and the hill were only a shadow against the dusk. The moon hung over them already, the north star leading their way for now.

What if scars were reopened, could they heal once more?

Facing the same pain again, would Alucard be able to do so?

The dhampire pulled out his father's ring, the silver color shimmered in the dying light of the day. Dark magic would be able to bring him back, but there was no reason why it should.

There was such peace within father when he had passed on. Even if there was no hope for Heaven, at least his suffering upon this Earth was over.

To resurrect Dracula was a sin against nature and his own will, too.

And Alucard would do anything to prevent this from happening. He had witnessed the terror long enough and he couldn't even say if humanity could survive a second round.

+0+0+0+

"You alright over there, buddy?" Grant called from the front as he held unto the reigns of the horse. Alucard looked over his shoulder, his fingers grasping around the ring.

"All good. Just pondering."

"Nothing new with you."

As grim as his track of thoughts had been, knowing that he wasn't alone prevented his mind from slipping any further. Alucard even managed to chuckle a bit and throw a curse his way.

Maybe traveling with someone else wasn't all too bad.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone!

I have promised an update and, yeah, it took me longer than I anticipated... Started to do an academic internship and I will have to look into Unity and how much programming I will be able to do oof... So yeah, I'm easily distracted.

Anyway! I hope that you enjoy the last installment as some sort of "Season 2 Epilogue" or "Season 3 Prologue" for the show!

Hope to see you around and have fun! 3

* * *

The search for answers was tedious to say the least.

It was hardly of any comfort that the landscape was scarce of foes. Here and there were gatherings of armies that they took down, but none of them offered proper answers.

Yet, the most important piece of information was this: whatever group it was, they were looking for five relics of Dracula.

A ring, a nail, an eyeball, a rib bone and a heart.

To think that these objects still remained in this world...

Alucard shuddered; his father's legacy was filled to the brim with such sin that it seemed not even the earth wanted to reclaim it.

Aside from the ring, the duo had found the rib bone in a camp of swamp monsters. These foes weren't all too skilled, but their number was enough to give them trouble. After having snitched a little box, they made their escape out into the countryside again.

+0+0+0+

Then, days upon days had passed without passing any living or dead. The days were already starting to become shorter, the leaves on the trees were changing. As much as the dhampire was used to be on his own, he was grateful that Grant was his companion. Of course, his thoughts were also with Trevor and Sypha, wondering if they knew of this whole ordeal or if they were even doing well in general.

But they had one another, they should be fine. Loneliness could eat away at someone if exposed to it for too long and Alucard should know.

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a clay cup that was waved in front of his face and Alucard glanced up.

"Our last bit of wine, buddy!", Grant chuckled as the other accepted the drink. They had used up their rations step by step, trying to be as reasonable as possible about it. But the alcohol warmed them up and numbed some of the wounds that they carried. The forests didn't offer a whole lot other than looking for other things to eat or hunt. Alucard stared into the dark liquid, the smell had become familiar. "You doing alright? You seem more thoughtful than usual."

"I'm still trying to understand what's happening. I feel like the more we figure out, the more questions arise."

Who was trying to resurrect Dracula? How did they detect these relics? And why couldn't the terror be over already?

Grant crossed his legs as he took place beside him by the campfire. It was starting to get dark, the shadows grew larger. He took a sip from his own cup, then he shrugged. "You can't always expect to receive answers out of every situation. For now, we'll have to focus on stopping whatever they've been planning."

"You always speak of it as a team effort. You have nothing to do with this."

The rogue let out a theatrical sigh and threw his head back. Alucard already threw him a glare, yet Grant wasn't intimidated by that anymore. "Look, we've had this talk more than once. We're in this together, buddy, and you can't deny that I wasn't of any help so far!"

The dhampire clicked his tongue but didn't argue. Instead, he drowned his words with a sip of wine and shook his head. There was no denying indeed, Grant was a skilled fighter. He had talked about how he grew up with rogues and that was how he learned how to fight and discovered his talent for it.

Anything before that, Grant couldn't talk about, for obvious reasons. And Alucard wasn't too fond of talking about his own childhood, no matter how blurry and messed up it was.

"I still don't understand why you wish to help me." His eyes were focused on the fire, he watched as the flames flickered and danced before them. The gentle warmth was more than pleasant while the air grew chilly.

"You look like you need it", he replied, a little smirk on his lips. Alucard peeked at him from the corners of his eyes, then frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, when I had found you all on your own in those ruins, you seemed like the loneliest person in the world! And that's just… I don't know, it didn't feel right leaving you on your own."

Alucard lowered his gaze, he hoped to cover the surprise on his expression. Grant was as blunt as ever, the honesty of it all left him somewhat flustered. To hide this, he let out a weak laugh and shook his head.

"This sort of attitude will kill you one day, you know that, right?"

Grant let out a snort before he elbowed his side. Alucard had a feeling that the rogue had heard that much more than once in his life, considering how he didn't deliver a comeback right away. It was downright naïve; his father would have laughed straight in his face if Alucard had shown glimpses of the same attitude. But he had come to terms with the fact that his childhood was anything but normal anyway.

"Oh, I will die of something, don't you worry. But at least, I will go out defending what I truly believe in", replied Grant, though his voice has lost its sharpness. "Let me guess, that's a way of thinking you learned from home? Royals are never all that kind, especially not Wallachian ones."

Alucard was about to say that he wasn't royalty, but there was a distinct memory that kept him from replying. Dracula's castle wasn't his only home; his father didn't wish for him and his mother to be locked up in one place. Higher standards for his family were convenient after all. Plus, his parents were able to distract from both their scientific research. The memory was a bit fuzzy though, Alucard couldn't grasp a proper picture.

There was a royal court, that much he knew.

Only then Alucard lifted his gaze to meet his again, his eyes trying to figure out the answer before the rogue could make something up. "Why would you say that I'm royalty?"

That question left Grant surprised for a second, he tilted his head and then shrugged. "Well, you look and act like it. A bit stuck-up, too, and you lived in a castle. Guess, I tried to connect some dots."

"Hmpf, some friend you are to just assume all that."

"Ah, so you do consider me a friend!" Grant nudged his side repeatedly, knowing very well how Alucard bit his own tongue. "Come now, you don't have to be embarrassed! It's your own fault anyway, you've never told me anything about you!" The dhampire muttered a 'shut up' before Grant left him alone, chuckling some more all the while.

Another sip from his wine. Alucard couldn't argue against that. The rogue did guess around based on what he experienced these past weeks. "You're right", he mumbled, the rim of the cup between his lips.

"What?"

"I must have picked that way of thinking up from home. It's harsh, but it keeps you on your toes when everyone around you wants to kill you. Whether because you are a vampire hybrid or for being on the wrong side of a violent dispute."

It was quiet between them for a moment and the dhampire feared to have spoken too much already. With his former companions, they didn't share past experiences all that much. It was calming not having to reveal any of it; nobody enjoyed being vulnerable. One was to be laughed at when showing weakness, it was all about survival. Any shred of humanity would lead to mockery and, in the worst case, to death.

And yet, Grant didn't mock him. He sat beside him and listened, trying to make sense of that little bit of information that was given to him.

"I've heard stories about it", he said, "burying relatives alive, sending them off to the Ottomans... Demons or not, many of them are rotten at heart. Must have been hard for you to be between them, but…" Grant put on a smile once more, though it held no jest in it. "You could have turned out much worse, to be honest."

"Tsk, thanks." Alucard downed his last bit of wine as the warmth of the alcohol welled up in his stomach. It wasn't all too bad sitting together like this, but he wasn't quite used to this situation, yet. Not that Grant seemed to care, he was well aware of the dhampire's antics at this point to not take any offense.

+0+0+0+

As the night approached, Alucard implored him to take some rest. He himself didn't need to have that much sleep while Grant was still human. While the rogue would protest, he turned to take his space. There was no point in arguing anyway when Alucard had a valid point.

"But you'll wake me up when something's odd, alright? You can't go investigating on your own." That was a sentence that Alucard got to hear a lot and every time he could only sigh and nod. If the other got to nap and give him a bit of silence, then the dhampire wouldn't complain.

Yet, Grant had barely made himself comfortable, when some bushes were rustling. Maybe rodents or birds bustling about, but it had them both freeze and hold their breath. The rogue wouldn't even dare to sit up, yet, to avoid making any noise. Alucard's eyes scanned their surroundings, he began to grow uneasy. Having paranoia was only normal these days, but the dhampire couldn't shake off the sensation that they were being watched. This nervousness kept him from remaining still and he got on his legs, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Show yourselves. I can sense your presence, it's pointless to hide." Which, in itself, was a lie, but the foes didn't need to know. Even Grant glanced up at him and the dhampire could hear him whisper 'no, you can't!' which Alucard ignored.

However, his threat did seem to have an effect as the rustling increased from different sides. That was enough to bring Grant back on his feet, his face lost color quite quickly. In one hand, he already held a dagger, ready to chug it at anything that was to jump them. The same anxiety took hold of him, he began to mutter under his breath:

"I swear to God, if this is where I die—"

"Shut up!", Alucard hissed and the other pressed his lips together.

And yet, the expected attack never came and instead, three women pranced out of the shadows. The sight had something dreamlike to it, though the duo couldn't say if it was a nightmare or not. Their dresses fluttered in the breeze as did their hair, long and well combed as if they weren't traveling through the forest. It was their red lips that dragged their attention first, then the bright eyes that stared the duo down.

"Would you look at that", one of them hummed as one hand toyed with her dark strands. "The young master is alive and well, it seems. So, those goons weren't lying when they said that they spotted him…"

"And he keeps another companion to himself! He must enjoy having pets around", another replied, this woman looking even paler with the blond hair. Her lips formed into a smirk as she glanced over the rogue. "A cute one at that, I will admit."

"You will stay away at once if you cherish your lives!" Alucard pointed his weapon towards one of them, his gaze wandered to Grant who still hasn't reacted. The dagger trembled in his hand, though his eyes glued to the blond woman. Said lady clapped in her hands, a giggle escaped her, and the sound was evermore sweet.

"Look, look! The boy likes me! Oh, I would love to cover him in kisses!" Alucard couldn't tell if that was genuine excitement in her voice, but she did reach out to him to lure him into her embrace.

To his shock, Alucard watched how the other did make a few steps towards her and the dhampire could only grab his arm. At that, the blonde crossed her arms and pouted, though her gaze was with Grant the whole time.

"You don't want to share, uh, young master? That's not fair, you can't keep him all to yourself!"

Alucard ignored the comment and spun his companion around to smack him across the face. A pained sound escaped him, then the rogue glanced up at him in confusion as if he woke up just now.

"You'll have to pull yourself together! They're trying to hypnotize you!", exclaimed Alucard, hoping that his words alone could focus the other's mind. Grant could barely look over his own shoulder, the dhampire could feel him shudder in his hold.

The last women took a few steps closer. Her expression was unreadable; there was no hint of seduction to be found in her eyes. "Where are the relics? We might not have to end your lives tonight if you cooperate."

"If I've learned anything these days, it's to never negotiate with demons", replied Grant as he kept on an easygoing tone. That answer didn't sit quite well with her and a frown was upon her brow.

"But darling! You can't just call me or my sisters demons!" The blonde approached him like a scorned lover, though Grant slashed his blade in her direction which had her stagger back with a gasp. She looked hurt for only a second before her expression was contorted by anger. With a hiss, she revealed her fangs and her eyes flashed into a dark red. "How dare you?! I was ready to make your death swift and painless in trade for the relics, darling!"

Said sisters followed her example and flashed their fangs, their faces twisted, and they encircled the duo.

So that was how they found them. It was the aura of the cursed artifacts.

Alucard could feel the weight of the ring against his chest, hidden in an inner pocket of his jacket. Grant had stashed the rib bone in a similar way, they wouldn't want these relics to be out in the open. "W-We don't know what you're talking about", said the rogue as he shifted from one foot to another. It was three against two, so focusing on just one foe was impossible. Another collective hiss from them which then turned into snarls.

"You can't fool us. We feel the presence of our lord!"

"And it sure is a coincidence to find his spawn here just the same."

"So, if you don't want to be ripped to shreds, you might want to comply."

Alucard peeked to Grant from the corners of his eyes, the rogue returned gaze. Grant nudged his side, a gesture so small that the dhampire almost missed it. A light nod from him and Alucard tensed up. Then, without a warning, Grant flicked the dagger towards one of the vampires who dodged the blade with a shriek.

And with that, all hell broke loose.

+0+0+0+

Even though the vampire sisters had no weapons, they were blessed with great strength and speed. It was difficult to keep them at bay when all they did was to press for close combat. Soon enough, Alucard had to give up using his sword as it proved to be too clunky. Using daggers only did so much as their foes avoided getting sliced, but the ladies were ever more aggressive.

One of them managed to grasp Grant by his neck with one hand and she simply lifted him up to watch him skirmish. Though struggling with his breath, the rogue was unwilling to back down and began kicking. The vampire seemed unimpressed, but annoyed nonetheless. In another attempt, Grant reached for a dagger to pierce her, but her other hand grasped his wrist before the blade could pierce skin.

Alucard, in the meantime, had to deal with the other two foes. Being an inhuman creature paid off, but having to fight two enemies at the same time was still a challenge. He had already received a punch and a scratch here and there, but no serious injury. However, as soon as he spotted his companion, his anger fueled his actions and dulled his sense of reason. With no regard for his own safety, Alucard grabbed one foe by the torso and stemmed against her weight to launch the vampire unto the third. In shock, the demon let go off Grant, though her sister managed to turn into a bat before colliding into her and they staggered back. The rogue couldn't get on his feet yet, though that didn't stop him from chugging a dagger in their direction.

Even in this state, his accuracy was impeccable.

The dagger hit the vampire's nape and she attempted to let out a sound, but it was soon drowned out as she slid to the ground ever so gracefully. After transforming back, her sister screeched in agony, only able to mourn her for a moment. The sorrow soon turned to hatred and it was all directed towards the rogue who had jumped on his feet, another dagger at hand.

Alucard could now deal better with one foe and since the vampire was enraged, her senses were blinded. Her strength wasn't to be messed with, though he could block and return the favor equally well. He caught her fists and grasped them, keeping her in his hold as she struggled against it.

"To fight along the humans", she growled, "with those that want to see us dead and have executed your parents, too. Young master, you've become a traitor of the highest caliber."

"There's no place in this realm for the likes of you." No doubt, these creatures were to feast on any living being with no regard for them if they wouldn't be stopped. The deaths of hundreds if not thousands were on the line. If his mother wished to sacrifice her life to proof their innocence, he would follow her wish in her honor. "And, as a creature of darkness myself, it is my duty to protect the ones good at heart."

"Ha, pathetic. That's what one gets when mating with a lowlife of a woman, I guess."

Alucard couldn't even attempt to snap her neck when she gasped. Behind her, he spotted the rogue as he was being chased by the other vampire. Inspired by his method of attack, a dagger of his own flipped between his fingers. He sunk the blade in her chest and the vampire struggled for breath, blood poured from her mouth as her eyes rolled back into her skull. Alucard watched with disgust as the other was rotting in seconds before him, her skin drying up.

Yet, the dhampire didn't spend much time watching her and instead rushed to help his companion. Grant was outrunning the enemy at this point, waited for an opportunity to present itself. But as soon as the vampire noticed how her other sister has been slain, too, she forgot any sense of caution. With that, she launched herself at Grant who only managed to jump back, but she still tackled him to the ground.

She flashed her fangs and aimed for his neck, though Grant pressed his hands against her face, stemming back against it. Eventually, she would overpower him, and the rogue realized this when he could feel her breath already. Thus, he shifted his fingers over her face to press them into her eyes. A yelp escaped her, and the vampire turned to bite into his lower arm, even daring to crack bone. Her other hand clawed his side, her nails scratching his skin as she gripped and ripped his jacket. The vampire let go off his arm to now bite his neck but couldn't even flash her fangs again before a wolf crashed into her. The foe was launched into the bushes and Alucard was about to chase after her, but she turned into a bat and flapped into the sky before he could even attempt to follow her.

+0+0+0+

A groan behind him snapped the dhampire out of his rage and he hastened to Grant's side. It took him more concentration than he'd admit to turn back, the scent of blood distracted him. It tugged on his mind, on something so primal that he had thought was forgotten. Yet, he placed his hands on him, to make sure he was fully conscious before rummaging for bandages nearby.

"Fucking hell…" Grant sat up, dazed by the shock. "I thought I'd end up as vampire dinner any moment…" His eyes followed the dhampire as if unaware what left him so stunned. Then, his gaze wandered down to his arm which bled profusely, and he paled some more. When Alucard took said arm, he flinched and was about to pull back, but remained in place. Grant noticed his stare, there was something animalistic behind his eyes, only held back by willpower.

"How are you holding up?", the rogue asked, his voice trembling. The dhampire shook his head, applied some herbs to the wound. It wasn't in his interest to focus on whatever urge welled up in his chest.

"I should ask you that, you're the one with bigger wounds. You're shaking so much that I fear you might fall over any second."

"Speak for yourself."

Only then Alucard noticed his own shaking hands as he applied the bandages, but scoffed nonetheless. "If you can make jokes like that again, it's not as bad as it looks."

He couldn't deny that it was a strange mix of adrenaline, anger and hunger that left him in this state.

Humans were so fragile and seeing the other's eyes losing their usual sharpness was worrying. Grant was putting on a brave face but couldn't hide his own shock and exhaustion.

"Thank you for having my back, you know…" His shoulders slumped down, and he watched Alucard's every move. "I don't know what would be of me if you weren't there."

"You'd be dead."

"Tch, you're such a downer, I'm trying to be nice here."

Both fell into a fit of chuckles as the silence began to cradle them and calm their racing hearts. When Alucard turned to repeat the procedure on his side, the rogue gasped and fumbled around the rest of his jacket.

"Oh, this damn cunt!", he exclaimed, anger fueling him once more, "she stole the rib bone!"

"She did what?!" Alucard stopped in his movement and stared back, his hands now trembling more.

"Fucking tore the box from me and then bailed!" The dhampire finished up the bandages and had to keep the rogue down from jumping up again just as much as himself. "If we try to hunt her down, we might have a chance of finding her! She's injured, she can't be too far!"

"Are you really in shape of doing that?", he heard himself argue while another side of his was ready to search the entire forest. Grant sensed the same need in the other and shifted in his hold some more.

"Buddy, don't worry about me! We have more important stuff to think of!" His eyes were pleading him, and he took hold of his arms. If the situation wasn't so serious, the dhampire would scoff at his careless nature. Instead, he steadied his voice and stared right back to implore him to reason.

"We were assaulted by vampires, it's not easy to come out alive from that. The fact that she snatched the relic was not your fault, Grant."

Bingo. Just seeing the other freeze and stutter was enough to prove to Alucard that he was right. It was ridiculous to believe that Grant was to blame for it, they were fighting for their lives. One could ponder about the what ifs, but Alucard didn't see a point in that.

"Look, we'll make progress either way. Set-backs like this won't change anything. After all, they didn't manage to steal the ring, so their set isn't complete." With one piece missing, they'd never be able to resurrect his father after all. The dhampire could feel the weight of the ring, how the cold metal pressed against his skin.

Grant's eyes lightened up and he took the other by his arm. "Then let's see if there's a way to make sure that the set is never complete! If we can destroy the relic for good, then they can do whatever they want!"

Alucard blinked at that, the surprise pushed away every other emotion. His kneejerk reaction was to doubt that plan though. "I don't know if there's an effective way to destroy it. It's the dark energy within this object that gives it its significance after all."

"We don't know if we don't try! If we continue to chase demons left and right, it's a waste of time!" Grant's newfound hope was contagious, the dhampire couldn't deny that part of his mind was already working on a possible solution.

But where to go and who to ask? The church? No, they'd turn them away or worse, try to execute them.

A magic user? A witch? Or better yet, a certain Speaker.

"I think, I know someone we could turn to."

Grant was about to jump back on his legs, it was only his own exhaustion that kept him from doing so. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and meet your friend before this bitch comes back and tries to suck me dry after all!"

Alucard couldn't argue that they had any reason to stay in the forests. Right then, they were targets more than anything and in their current state, they couldn't hope to stand a chance.

"Fine." The dhampire sighed and got back on his feet. "You take a rest while I gather our camp."

Grant blinked at him for a second before a smirk crossed his lips. "I'm not gonna let you do all the work by yourself!"

"Don't be a fool. We'll need every bit of energy that we can preserve."

"Aww, are you getting that worried about me, buddy?"

Alucard scoffed and turned on his heels to do as he said, there was no point in humoring his antics. He could hear the rogue snicker behind his back and the dhampire needed more of his willpower to not turn back and scold him for it. At least, Grant respected his wish and remained in place to relax some more and didn't add anything else to it. They didn't have too much with them anymore, so it wasn't a big task that would need two people at all costs.

+0+0+0+

Traveling the woods at night wasn't the safest route, but the duo didn't have much of a choice. The only chance to find a safe spot for them to rest for the night was anywhere but the forests. Grant would glance up often to find the stars, trying to navigate them out.

"No matter where you are or what you do, the stars will always lead you home. Or whatever goal you have in mind at the time anyway."

That was how the rogue put it when Alucard grew anxious about what he was looking at in the first place. One would assume that Grant owned a compass, considering how much time he had spent on sea, but the other didn't carry a whole lot on his person in general. Anything that could become a weight and slow him down in combat was discarded.

Might explain his attire.

The trees were getting less, the path clearer before them. Yet, paranoia stuck to their skin without any chance of shaking it off. The duo flinched at every sound, would turn their heads with every rustle of the leaves.

"I'm surprised that you haven't jumped a tree, yet", murmured Alucard while his own gaze darted around. Did he raise his voice to distract the other or just calm himself from his growing anxiety?

"Says the one that fumbled with the hilt of his sword for the past minute." Grant clicked with his tongue which was followed by a growl. That was enough for the dhampire to follow his gaze, though the dark of the night cloaked their sight.

But there was cackling. From above and behind, it seemed.

The sound was sloppy as if drenched by saliva, though loud enough to pierce through the silence. Yet, nothing seemed to have stirred so far and neither did the duo dare to react too quickly. But then, Alucard felt a drop land on his head, the warm liquid had him shudder as it crawled along his scalp. He couldn't keep from glancing up only to flinch from the sight.

A handful of feline-like faces stared them down, the smirks stretched wide and the large yellow eyes focused on them. Hunchbacks, the dhampire recognized them as the more obnoxious kind of demons.

The shock on their faces must have been obvious as the creatures' cackling grew louder. More heads peeked through the leaves, they were surrounded. Before Grant could let out a curse, Alucard took him by the arm and dashed off. The hunchbacks gave chase, jumping from tree to tree with impeccable speed. Among the laughter and huffs, they could hear them chant "blueblood, blueblood, get the blueblood."

The dhampire could feel the other clutch his arm just the same.

Could even these creatures sense the ring? The vampire sister must have sent them after the duo; too weakened to finish them off herself.

It was another curse from Grant's side that snapped him from his thoughts. "We're not getting any distance! If this keeps up, we'll have our faces torn off! We have to take action!"

"We can't take them all at once, especially not like this!"

"Then what?! I won't watch those fuckers kidnap you either!"

With that, the rogue pulled himself free from his grasp to turn himself around. Blades flipped between his fingers, then they were chugged at the foes and it rained hunchbacks from the treetops. The fiends screeched and were thrown out of rhythm. Another couple of attacks, but they didn't seem to get less.

Alucard cursed under his breath, unsheathed his sword and followed right along. Perhaps, if they could stand their ground, the hunchbacks would flee before losing more of their brethren.

And yet, as the slain bodies were lying before them, there was no rest to be had. The hunchbacks were possessed by their command, not minding their own lives as they threw themselves at the duo. It itched in his fingers to summon flames, to burn down these pathetic beasts, but Alucard knew that a single flare could set the entire forest ablaze. The dhampire glanced around to find a hole in their defense, they would need to break through. Perhaps, if Grant clung to his back and he turned into a wolf, they could—

"Get down!"

Before Alucard could even decide on anything, the rogue rammed into his side and threw him over. As the dhampire tumbled to the ground, he was ready to jump back up again and yell at him; this wasn't the time for mistakes or even jokes. But as he turned to glance up at him, Grant was caught up in a net and dragged upwards by several hunchbacks. Alucard couldn't even take a breath before slashing at the foes, yet other beasts threw themselves in front of his blade. The rogue struggled in the little space he was contained in, trying to cut the ropes, but no damage was done to the net.

Alucard could barely keep his eye on the other as the hunchbacks threw themselves at him, holding him back as the other foes pulled Grant out of sight. Panic took hold of him and he hurled the hunchbacks off him, not feeling any of the bites and scratches anymore. Instead, Alucard shifted into a wolf and dashed back into the forests while he tried to follow the faint smell of the other's blood.

However, all too quickly, it faded and Alucard lost the track, only the memory remained on his mind.

+0+0+0+

The past hours were taking their toll on him though, the exhaustion draining his limbs. But Alucard bit against it all, ignoring the strain and the stings of pain in hope to get any trace, any sign of where they have taken the other.

No, the dhampire couldn't give up, he wouldn't allow himself to do so. All that he has seen and learned had him grow, it made him a warrior.

And yet, he couldn't save his mother, couldn't save his father and he couldn't even protect his companion.

Instead, Grant has taken the fall for him, putting both him and the mission above his own life.

By God, was anyone close to Alucard destined to meet a brutal end? To crumble away between his fingers like ashes?

Alucard pushed the despair away with a growl and made way for anger; it fueled him and blinded his reasoning. Just the sight of any creature between the trees was enough to set his fury ablaze. Whatever poor monster had crawled in the dark, Alucard sank his teeth into them, tearing them apart and blood spurt into his muzzle.

Sounds were muffled, his sight blurred. His body became a machine, made to destroy and hunt while his mind shut down on him.

Right then, it was a blessing; there was no sadness or pain to be had. There was only the drive for release, the violence was exhilarating and left him lightheaded. The rush was addicting, almost overpowering the taste of blood. It was almost as if he could right any wrongdoings and bring order to the chaos that was before him.

Did his father feel the same way when he directed his fury towards humanity? To numb the despair and find such hollow satisfaction for as long as the fires burned?

Alucard found no answer to those questions, they got lost in the red fog and he had gladly surrendered to it.

+0+0+0+

The morning found him dazed and drained. Everything finally slowed down around him as if the sun banished the demon that welled in his blood. The dhampire came to a stop outside the forest, his mind slowly put the pieces back together.

He had spent the entire night searching the forests and tore apart anything in his way. But the hunchbacks were gone and with them was Grant with no trace left behind as if the rogue had never entered his life at all.

Alucard glanced down at his hands. His fingers were trembling, blood splattered all over him and the coppery taste lingered on his tongue. The memories of last night felt like someone else's, as if he had been asleep during all that. Yet, the evidence stuck between his fingers and the dread of Grant's disappearance had him at the verge of panic.

But the ring, it was still with him.

The cold metal gave him clarity, focused his mind back on the mission. He would need to stop his father's return. His reign brought enough terror to the world, Alucard couldn't allow for it to happen again.

As long as his cursed relics were in this world, the dhampire couldn't find rest.

And Grant was the most resilient human he had ever met. If there was someone that could break out and survive the horrors, it was surely him.

At least, that was the only thought that could keep him from losing his determination.

+0+0+0+

"Alucard?"

The dhampire almost missed the voice calling out to him, it was as if it resounded from a faraway memory. His head snapped up and he glanced around to see a carriage down the road with two familiar faces. They sped up their horse to get close to him and Alucard couldn't tell if he was still dreaming or not.

But there they were, Trevor and Sypha were traveling the countryside together.

Shock has taken hold of them, both jumped off the carriage as if they needed to make sure that it was really the dhampire before them.

"What are you doing here?!" Trevor took him by his shoulders but couldn't keep his eyes away from the blood splatter on him. Sypha already unpacked herbs, her gaze scanning him, too.

"Who has done this to you? Are you injured?"

Alucard couldn't put together any sentence, words failed to land on his tongue. He only shook his head, then took a deep breath before taking hold of them in hopes to stop their growing panic.

"I'm managing", he said, barely able to keep himself upright, "we need to talk."

+0+0+0+

There was no denying that dark powers were spreading across Wallachia once again. The land hadn't healed from the wounds inflicted by Dracula and there were forces willing to rip open the scars yet again.

The world was nothing but a stage, a canvas to create their own vision of it. And if that took some brute force and violence, they would accept that.

"The hunchbacks might have brought back the wrong one, but I think that I still put him to good use."

Camilla was led upstairs to a clock tower chamber. This was Hector's little laboratory lately, doing experiments to increase their army. Apparently, Alucard has come out of hiding to do his own investigating. As much as she would have preferred to have caught him, there was nothing to be done about it now.

And Hector certainly tried to make up for that by presenting whatever he has created. Camilla could feel his eyes on her often, waiting for a reaction on her expression, but she was calm as ever.

If there was anything to scold him for, Camilla would do so when needed. It was as if Hector was just waiting for that moment and this anticipation was amusing.

+0+0+0+

However, these thoughts were pushed to the side when they entered the chamber. It was a large hall with the cogs turning above them, the sound heavy and deafening.

Her eyes were drawn to a figure that hung in the air, held up by wires with his arms angled upwards. He was wrapped up in bandages like a mummy, though it was a sloppy job as one could spot greyed skin patches and some white hair stuck out of his head. Occasionally, the creature would pull and shift in his hold, but give up after a few seconds again.

"This was what you were so excited about? I must say, I'm not impressed", she mumbled and crossed her arms. There wasn't anything special about him, he looked like a regular minion. "A bit scrawny, too… I'm afraid that the Belmont could tear his limbs apart."

Hector flinched at her words and struggled to find words before he could press out: "There's m-much more to him than one might expect! But that's part of why this beast is a masterpiece!" He found confidence in his words, a smile widened on his lips despite the fear lingering behind his eyes.

After all, Lady Camilla might still disapprove.

Hector then went to lower the minion a bit so that they could approach him better. Once again, the figure felt the change and struggled, growling and snarling as the wires dug into his skin.

"For one, he's twice as fast and acrobatic as anybody else on our side if not more! Currently, I've been training with him to summon blades that he can direct anywhere and he's just as fast at learning, too! But most importantly, there's only two things that he truly lacks..." Hector showed a smirk, much like a child that was giddy to show off his school project. Camilla raised her eyebrows, not too fond of the dramatic pause before he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Fear and mercy."

Camilla couldn't suppress the little smile on her lips. "Sounds promising." Then she turned to stand in front of the beast and placed her hand under his chin to lift his head. A pair of sharp eyes focused on her, a mix of fury and defiance on his expression as he growled. But he didn't turn his head away as if challenging her in this silent exchange. This beast was filled to the brim with energy, in need of a hunt or multiple for that matter. "We're going to have a lot of fun with you, I can tell."

"D-Does this mean, you approve of my work?"

Camilla clicked with her tongue and rolled her eyes before letting go of the minion. She stemmed her hands on her hips, looking down on Hector. "I suppose, it's good enough for our goals. Besides, it was about time that we have something more effective for once..." She threw a side glance at the creature that was still watching them. "Lord Dracula has allowed them too much wiggle room before, but now we're done playing on easy mode."

Without waiting for a reply from Hector's side, Camilla made her way back out. There were plenty of other areas that needed supervising, she couldn't waste time watching their new toy shift all night.

After all, their Lord of Darkness demanded to be resurrected to ring in a new world order, an era of eternal night.

The reign of monsters and demons was upon them. They would contort the creation of a neglectful God to shape it in their image instead.

And Camilla couldn't wait for it to begin any sooner.

* * *

This is the end, my friends! As of now anyway!

I highly doubt that season 3 will be anything like this, especially since people guess that the blond dude at the end of season 2 (that was turned by Isaac) is Grant and... Not too excited about that perspective. But a girl can dream, right?

Either way, thank you for going on this adventure with me and see you! :D

(Btw, you can also find me on Twitter ScarabScribbles if you want to check for other updates or chat!)


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